Broken

Chapter 35: Talk to Me (KL)

As I was running through the sunlit forest, there was a wide clearing within the trees. Following it, realization struck me that it must be some sort of pathway that connected to someplace else. Before I started to second guess my decision, I began to dash down the path with the naked grass crunching beneath my feet. Proceeding forward, I listened to the sounds of nature such as the wind blowing through the trees and the singing of birds. The sun was shining abnormally bright today, which made the corners of my lips pull up into a huge smile. Running, I couldn't help but feel liberated from all of my burdens. For once in my life, I actually felt free. I basked in the sun rays that hit my face with a warm brightness, feeling good as they kissed my porcelain skin.

Moving forward on the path, I realized that it began to get more narrow as the trees started to close it in. I found this to be quite odd, so out of curiosity I continued to walk down until the entire path was blocked with a row of trees that were placed in a perfectly straight line. Curiosity took over as I crawled in between two of them, only to be hit with a blinding ray of sunlight. Moving my hand to shield my eyes, I didn't notice that my foot got caught as I tripped over something on the ground. My elbows fell against the soft, damp dirt as they skid in its softness. Letting out a wince of pain, the skin on my elbows has skid so much that the scraped part began to bleed a bit. Managing to push myself up from the barren ground, I brushed myself off and suddenly as I glanced up, I was greeted by the most beautiful, breathtaking sight. Before me stood an orchard of trees, illuminated with flowers of all kinds of beautiful colors and patterns.

"Wow, this is beautiful!" I exclaimed to no one in particular. How had I not found this before? Twirling myself around, a giggle freely escaped my lips. I had never felt at such peace before in my whole entire life.

Proceeding forward, guilt overtook me as my feet crushed the innocent fallen petals and small flowers that protruded from the ground. Taking in my scenery once more, there were neon colored flowers, pastel colored flowers, and even patterned flowers that were growing on these trees! As I was looking around in awe, an idea struck me. It would be a very nice gesture to bring some flowers back home for Shadow.

Walking forward, I began searching through the trees to see which ones were perfect enough to bring back to Master. While I was searching for a red rose tree, I came across many different types of flowers like beautiful petunias, vibrant jasmines, and soft, elegant cherry blossoms. They were all so beautiful that I had no idea how I was going to choose between all of them! A smile formed on my face when the vibrant, bright red roses finally caught my eye. Their crimson color was so rich and full of life, their plump petals some of the most beautiful that I had ever laid eye on.

Slowly reaching my hand out to get one, my finger traced the rim of one of the rose petals. Immediately, the rose began turning from its rich crimson color to a dark black color. As if an infection spreading from one to the other, the rest of the roses on the tree began to turn black, but the leaves stayed their normal green color. Taking a step back in terror, I watched as the black petals fell off of the tree one by one. Tears began to well in my eyes as I realized what was happening.

" Seth?" I asked.

The falling rose petals began to fly all around me, forming a coat around me as if they were hugging me themselves. A loud wail escaped from my lips as I instantaneously weakened and felt my knees buckle. As fell down to the ground, the air began to chill, goosebumps forming on the surface of my skin. Thunder then roared through the sky, startling me as tears streamed down my face. It was crazy to think that what was once a gorgeous day, now changed into a horrible, gloomy day of destruction.

This horrible, painful knot formed in my stomach. It was unlike any other pain I had ever experienced before. As if all of the tragedies and burdens of my life seemed to catch up to me at once, I screamed out in pain. The memories of Seth and my parents overwhelmingly whirled around in my head, and this feeling of deep sorrow and pain took over my being. My hands embedded into the dirt, cries shook me as my tears blended in with the raindrops that had now begun to fall.